Life and all the shananigins!

I haven’t blogged for months now, and that’s really poor. I only seem to get on here occasionally to shout about where I have been and update things then I disappear again, but I wanted to share some things with you!

As you all know I decided to get cracking with the weight loss and I have been focused on that so here are some visual results for you:

This is the picture that made me diet, I actually wanted it burning when I saw it, but good old digital means that I would have had to burn everything including Facebook as my dear brother put it on there!!! Now, I see it as a good “before” shot and I am not ashamed to say this was me.

After 6 months of Weight Watchers, I have shed 24lb’s and this is me with B at her party in January:

This is the picture that made me see the difference. I hate pictures of me, but I can actually look at this one and smile! And so many people have told me lately how good I look for losing the weight.

I still have the same again plus a bit to get to “normal” weight, but I am trying a different route now, I’ve got complacent on Weight Watchers and in the last 4 weeks I’ve put 5lb’s back on, so I have decided to up the exercise and go it alone for a bit, I may rejoin in the future if I need to.

I don’t know if any of my readers are still out there and will be interested in this update, but I hope at least one person will be glad to have heard from me!!!

So I’ve been doing Weight Watchers for about 8 weeks now and things are going really well. I’ve lost something most weeks, only 1 week I stayed the same and my total weight loss to date is now 17lb. My aim is to lose in total 5 stone, so I am just over a 5th of the way there! Thing is though, after losing over a stone, I thought I would have noticed a difference in myself!!!

I went shopping for new jeans the other week and still had to buy the same size, even though now I have worn them a few times they are too lose, the next size down wouldn’t even do up! So where have I lost this weight from? Ok so I should have done my measurements too and then I would know I suppose! I have definitely lost off my wrist because my watch is now on the next hole, and my tops feel more comfortable as my midriff shrinks, so I suppose going on that, I can tell a difference I just wish it was more noticeable!!!

Anyway, things are going swimmingly and I am getting used to the whole points system, but next week it’s all change. Weight Watchers are introducing the ProPoints Plan. The principle is still the same, you have a points allowance worked out from various factors and all food has a points value, so you can eat anything you like as long as it fits in your points allowance. I’ve just got used to what the points values are for the foods I eat most and now I have to get used to a whole new plan!!! Let’s think positive though, this could be a boost to my weight loss, because I am so used to the points values now, maybe a new system will help me work out my points better. It’s all guessing at the moment though as the new plan isn’t released until next week so until then anything could happen!!!

I’ll keep you posted on how the change goes, and I’m aiming to have lost 2 stone by Christmas, so 11lb in 6 weeks to go!!!

Well I am late again with my weigh day news!! It’s now almost a week since my last weigh in but as promised here is my update!

The week didn’t go as well as the first one. I don’t know why but I started to feel hungry between meals and wasn’t filling up on fruit because the selection in the supermarket wasn’t the best when I went!

I walked into the meeting in Thursday evening feeling tired and bloated, convinced I had put in weight. And the result was…….another 2.5lb loss, making a total of 5.5lb!!

To say I was happy is an understatement!! This week I am actually looking forward to weigh day even though that may sound strange! I can get my skinny jeans on comfortably now and my middle is definitely shrinking. I’m already feeling less run down and tired and the best of it is I can eat what I want!!!

Regular readers will no doubt recall that not so long ago I wrote a post about the fact I have signed up for Weight Watchers again and am determined to lose the extra weight I’ve been carrying around for most of my adult life. So how did my 1st week go?

The food side was ok, I switched from high fat snacks and started eating lots of fruit and swapping high POINTS value carbs, with soups and low point alternatives. As far as being active is concerned, well that didn’t change much but I have been looking at the small ways I can be more active in the normal things I do. So I was parking at the far end of the supermarket car park instead of as close to the door as possible. I take the washing upstairs in a couple of trips instead of taking a big basket at once and have just generally made my self put more “umph” into anything I have been doing.

I felt great for the first few days but as weigh day approached I started to feel bloated and like I had put weight on rather than lost it. Off we went for weigh in last Thursday and I was expecting very little if any change in my weight.

I got on the scales and…………..I’ve lost 3lb! Now whilst this doesn’t sound much – especially when I think about the massive 6 stone I want to lose in total, to put that into perspective, it’s only just under a quarter of a stone! Which means I am on track to lose it all within a year and that’s my aim. There’s no point in losing it too fast because I know it will go back on just as fast – slow and steady wins the race so to speak!

This week is going pretty good so far, and I have to say that I am beginning to find it more natural to listen to the full signals and I am eating less but not feeling hungry, so fingers crossed for more good news this week!!!

Ok don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you all with a day by day account of how I am doing but as I’m just beginning I thought I would bring you all an update on what I have been doing to kick start the mission to let the slim Supersinglemum out!!!

Well, to give you an idea of a typical day before dieting, this is what I used to eat:

Breakfast was either nothing or a large bowl of Crunchy Nut with Skimmed milk.

No snack mid morning.

Lunch was a large cheese and salad cream roll, bag of crisps, piece of fruit, Babybel, something chocolatey and a yoghurt.

Mid afternoon I rarely snaked.

Tea was whatever I was cooking, generally home made and fresh, balanced and what the kids will eat. Once a week we would have chips and other processed food like sausages etc.

Evening, well where do I start. Snaking varied as to how hungry I was feeling and would consist of things like crisps, chocolate, biscuits, toast…….

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that’s not going to work. My portion sizes we’re also an issue. So in the last 2 days what have I eaten?

Breakfast – 30g Crunchy Nut and a piece of fruit.

Mid morning snack – Fruit

Lunch – Soup and 1 slice of bread or cup a soup with Krisprolls and cottage cheese.

Afternoon snack – Fruit and Smoothy

Tea – Same as before but the right size portion and much bigger helpings of veg.

Evening – If I feel like it and have the points, a low fat small snack such as fruit crisp slice or low calorie crisps.

On top of that I have been making myself be more active. Not in any major way but parking as far away from the door when going to the supermarket, sitting down as little as possible at home and finding jobs to do where I before ignored them!

I hope it all works to a good kick start to my diet and will stick long term, but you know what, even if I don’t lose weight this week I can safely safe my stomach hasn’t rumbled since Thursday and that’s not normal. Changing the kinds of food I am eating is definitly making a difference, lets hope it shows on the scales too!!!

Do you have any tips of little things to be more active because that’s my next focus and would love to hear what you all do!!!

Those of you who know me know that my weight isn’t something that stops me doing things and it isn’t like I sit and moan about my size all the time. Thing is though, since having H I have been full of the right intentions and yet just lately I have been eating more than ever – and the wrong things! So last night I took the plunge and signed up for Weight Watchers. I’ve done it before, when B was 14 months I signed up and lost 2 and a half stone over 4 months. I felt great although still needed to lose another 2 stone to reach “normal” weight. The thing is a list of excuses began, we moved house and after 6 months I had completely lost track of what I was doing. The weight started going back on so I signed up again and lasted about 2 weeks. My heart wasn’t in it and it didn’t work.

When I fell pregnant with H I hadn’t quite got back up to where I was but wasn’t far off and I vowed this time not to eat for 2. I didn’t!! Mainly because at 5 months my world was turned upside down when I became a single mum. After having H I was around the same weight as I was after B was born, but I lost weight quickly and within 2 months was back into my pre pregnancy clothes. I was happy, for the time being as I hadn’t put on and kept on the pregnancy weight this time.

H turned 2 just over a month ago and we went on holiday the week of her birthday. The holiday pictures made me see myself in a different light. Having not weighed myself for at least a year, and still fitting in the same clothes, I’d been denying I was putting weight on. I decided to diet, go it alone, why pay for someone to weigh me. Well, if I don’t have someone there who might catch me out, I cheat! That’s why I am now back with Weight Watchers and have no intention of leaving until I am down to my ideal weight.

My initial target is 5% of my body weight and for that I need to lose 11lb. I’m taking seriously this time though, I’ve been shopping and bought so much fruit and veg it almost didn’t fit in the fridge! I know it won’t be easy every day. Today has been a good day but I am determined and that’s what matters. Plus I will be updating everyone on here so not only will my WW Leader be keeping tabs on me, you lot will be too!

My freezer is sorted,I threw out a bin bag full of stuff out of date or ridiculously high in fat and have already worked out the points for what I eat most. Cheese will have to be missed for a while! So wish me luck and check back each week to see how I am doing!!!

Right then, it is now a week exactly till I start work and start my new get fitter and shift the baby weight program! Also known as Mummy Tummy Begone, I have decided now is the time after some encouragement at reading Karin at CafeBebe’s posts. Now, anyone who knows me knows I can’t stick to diets, I feel like I am depriving myself and so want it more. Therefore I have come up with the following plan, which, if it doesn’t work I will rethink and may then decide the time has come to start counting calories!

1. Smaller Portions – I have kind of already started this one. I realised after watching Super Nanny last week that not only do I feed yourself too big a portions, but I also put far too much in front of my kids, so it’s smaller portions all round and not only that but I will listen to my body when it says “STOP EATING NOW!!!”

2. Water – I don’t drink enough that’s for sure. Up until recently all my fluid intake consisted of was milk on my cereal, a tea or coffee if I was out and about, and the odd mouthful of milk, juice or water as I got on with my jobs. Now I realised that was an issue as I was always fighting headaches and so changed – but started drinking a minimum of 5 cups of tea in a day. I have practically stopped drinking coffee though. And I drink a Green Tea blend so my argument is it is healthy. I need to drink more water though so no matter how much tea I drink I will make sure I have at least 8 glasses (which I believe is the recommended amount) a day.

3. Sit ups – the best exercises for stomach muscles yet I haven’t done one since I found out I was pregnant 2 and 1/2 years ago! So as of Monday I will be doing a minimum of 20 per day – I know about 4 different variants with legs up, crossed, twists etc so I think that’s a reasonable start and no excuses it just means 10 minutes less on the laptop in an evening!

4. excercise! – We all know it burns calories and those of us who are over weight but not trying to lose weight will probably admit to not doing any. So I am going to do some! I have 3 fitness DVD’s and once I get my Wii fixed, I can get back on with using the Wii fit to track my progress. I may well also have free time in the week with no kids once I start work and H is at nursery. I am going to begin by aiming to do 30 mins, 4 days a week and aim to increase this to 6 days a week once I get going.

5. Snacking – I won’t stop snacking, and come Easter Sunday I can eat chocolate again, but I am going to limit myself to fruit only for snacks, with a chocolate or other none fruit snack on the days I do my exercise, and it will be a small portion not a binge!!

So there we go, that’s my plan and I plan to stick to it. Watch this space to see how I do!

My tummy bugs me, what bugs me more is I have a midrif that sticks out further that my tummy. I hate my shape. Nothing looks flattering on me. I have fairly large boobs, a massive middle, an ok (considering my size) waist, a 2 c-section hang over tummy and my thighs need a tone. Oh and bingo wings. I like my hands and feet! So ok your all thinking “she can’t be that bad”, and to look at me it’s probably not as bad for every one else but my self image is awful and I need to sort it out.

I’ve always been on the larger side. I hit puberty and all the chocolate and crisps from the previous 3 years piled on. I never did diets because I saw mum and dad diet and regain weight and didn’t want to do that. I married at 20 and was quite happy, I didn’t have a flat tummy (although looking back I wish I had appreciated what I had!) but I was in proportion and about 2 stone lighter than I am now.

I fell pregnant with B and ballooned all over – I literally ate for 2 and didn’t think beyond the pregnancy, after 3 years and fertility treatment I was just focused on having a baby not what it would do to me. B was delivered by elective cesarean as she was breech, so I had that 12 week period of not being able to do much and so the weight didn’t shift early on. When B was 14 months I started weight watchers and lost 2 and half stone, but still wanted to loose another 1 and half stone. We moved house, routines changed and I didn’t loose, in fact I gained about a stone by the time I was pregnant again with H. I was good with my eating this time round, probably mainly due to the fact I seperated from my husband half way through and so lost my appetite. I opted for VBAC as I really wanted to know what labour felt like (hmmmm), but was over due and so was induced 10 days after my due date. After 12 hours of labour and not much progression things went pear shaped and to cut a long story short I was rushed for another section under a general anesthetic due to my uterus rupturing. My insides were pretty mangled but thankfully everything was able to be sewn back together and after 5 days on SCBU, H was fine. But again it meant I was sore, much more than the 1st time round.

The weight this time round shifted early on, as a new single mum of 2 I was back on my feet and doing more than was probably recommended at just 3 weeks – there was noone else to do it. But we are now 19 months on and my pre pregnancy clothes that 6 months ago were getting loose, are now fitting a little too snuggly! I’ve started snacking at night again. My portion sizes after watching this weeks Super Nanny, are way off the mark and I need to sort it out.

Well, as if by some psychic mummy blogger magic, the lovely Karin at Cafe Bebe wrote a post a few days ago saying the same thing, that she needs to take the bull by the horns and do something about it and by blogging it she hopes to crack it. A few of us all shouted out saying that’s us too and so Mummy Tummy Begone was born. I know Karin has already started and I am sat eating crisps and dip while I write, but my plan is to start the proper diet on Monday 22nd March, because that is the day I start work and so that means 1. I won’t be able to snack through the day so easily and 2. H will be in nursery so hopefully I will find some time to do things like the gym or swimming. So I have just over a week to decide how I am going to tackle this one. Watch this space…………..

All about me!

For those of you who didn’t read my old blog, or just want to remind yourself of my background, here goes…….

I’m a 33 year old single mum. I have two daughters, B is 8 and H is 3. I have been single since I was 5 months pregnant with H, and yes they both have the same dad. They see him alternate weekends and holidays unless he is away with work.

When my marriage broke down I moved the length of the country to be back at home near family and unfortunately lost my job due to the credit crunch too. I returned to work in March 2010, as a Family Support Worker. It’s such a rewarding job but hard work too. I’m now in a new relationship with Mr D and have the added dynamics of his children and how they fit into both my life and my girls lives! Being a parent brings some challenges but I wouldn’t change it!

As a single mum it’s a great way to view my opinions and get other points of view. Don’t get me wrong I have some fantastic friends and family on my doorstep and I talk things through with them. Sometimes the view of a perfect stranger is a breeze of fresh air though.

So be warned, I really am getting into this now and I am likely to post some utter drivel as well as some (hopefully) interesting stuff. All I ask is that you comment honestly, I don’t expect my opinions to be agreeable to everyone and at times I will be looking for some opinions that contradict my own.